Highlights

Description of Mountaineering Courses in Peru

Even if the only knots you’ve ever tied are in your shoelaces, these mountaineering courses in Peru will have you feeling like Edmund Hillary, and put a notch on your explorer belt for good measure.

Over six days you’ll be trained in all the basic techniques required for an ascent of the Yanapaqcha mountain, covering everything from correct preparation to vertical ice climbing and how to rescue someone from a crevasse. With support and advice from experienced instructors throughout, you’ll learn how to cope with the various hazards this type of mountaineering presents, and rapidly bond with the rest of the group as you come to depend on and trust each other.

The course takes place in the Llanganuco Valley, at the base of the Yanapaqcha glacier. After a session of rope skills and knot-tying you’ll be heading out onto the ice to master the art of walking with crampons, and how to perform a self-arrest in the event of a fall.

Much of the course focuses on crevasse rescues, a common feature of glacier climbs, and you’ll soon be familiar with terms such as belaying, equalised anchors and haul systems, practising repeatedly before encountering a ‘live’ scenario to see what you’ve learned.

The penultimate day brings the biggest challenge of all, as you make your attempt on the summit of Yanapaqcha, working as a team throughout. It takes between four and six hours to get to the top, and any fatigue you have will be completely conquered by the sense of achievement.

This course is suited for first-timers, as well as people with some experience of mountaineering and climbing. Exact location and daily itinerary subject to change according to weather conditions and abilities of group, while there are also 3-day mountaineering courses available that can be tailormade.

Travel Team

If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.

Responsible tourism

It is our policy to protect the fragile mountain environments in the areas we run courses. We carefully dispose of all waste. All non-organic waste is carried out and organic waste is buried at a suitable depth. Food is purchased locally and we use food products with minimum packaging, and encourage cooking with Andean products. We cook with gas and use recyclable glass as opposed to plastic wherever possible.

The Impacts of this Trip

We are also supporting HuchuyYachaq, a Peruvian charity based on the outskirts of Cusco with a percentage of our profits. Every year we pay for a full time teacher at the school they run to enable the local children from impoverished backgrounds to attend school.

Local qualified mountaineering guides are used on our mountaineering courses. Support staff are hired from local communities are treated fairly and are paid a fair wage.

Environment

It is our policy to protect the fragile mountain environments in the areas we run courses. We carefully dispose of all waste. All non-organic waste is carried out and organic waste is buried at a suitable depth. Food is purchased locally and we use food products with minimum packaging, and encourage cooking with Andean products. We cook with gas and use recyclable glass as opposed to plastic wherever possible.

Community

The Impacts of this Trip

We are also supporting HuchuyYachaq, a Peruvian charity based on the outskirts of Cusco with a percentage of our profits. Every year we pay for a full time teacher at the school they run to enable the local children from impoverished backgrounds to attend school.

Local qualified mountaineering guides are used on our mountaineering courses. Support staff are hired from local communities are treated fairly and are paid a fair wage.